Strong Ban Advocates attendance at Serbia launch of the report “Voices from the Ground” - Belgrade

On 2 September 2009 Ban Advocates from Serbia joined the global launch of the breakthrough report “Voices from the Ground” locally at a national release event in Belgrade. Speakers at the well attended press conference held by Handicap International included local representatives of mine and explosive remnants of war survivor associations.

Svetlana Bogdanovic, a key support staff member of Ban Advocates since the project’s inception was also the coordinator for the survey of mine and ERW Survivors throughout Serbia which formed the basis of the Serbia Country section of the “Voices from the Ground” report. Svetlana spoke at the event and drew on her international experiences while describing the survey process and the situation those survivors surveyed had presented.

Dejan Dikic, Ban Advocate from the Civilian War Victims Association of Nis spoke about the situation for civilian survivors and the hopes for the future of provisions for victim assistance in the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which Serbia is yet to sign.

Ban Advocate and CMC spokesperson Branislav Kapetanovic and Ban Advocates Sladjan and Dusica Vuckovic also attended the launch and were available for media interviews.

Here below was the Press Conference Invitation:

Landmine and Explosive Remnants of War Survivors Speak Out on Victim Assistance

“Voices from the Ground: Landmine and Explosive Remnants of War Survivors Speak Out on Victim Assistance” is a new, groundbreaking report by Handicap International in which landmine and explosive remnants of war survivors speak about their situation and look at progress in the field of assistance from the perspectives of affected communities.

Survivors living in all areas of Serbia were among over one and a half thousand survivors from the 26 countries around the world who evaluated the situation in their own countries for the report. The report is the result of a global collaborative effort including the organization networks of the Nobel Peace Prize co-laureate International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and the international "Ban Advocates" cluster munition survivors initiative- both active in Serbia.

• Serbia is one of 26 countries in the world reporting an obligation to assist significant numbers of landmine survivors.
• These countries have the responsibility to provide adequate care and rehabilitation for survivors and also have expectations of assistance from the international community.
• Estimates indicate that there are more than 3,000 survivors of landmines and explosive remnants of war in Serbia.

Speakers include Serbian survivor representatives, the national survey coordinator for Serbia, and an international research specialist.